This tape is a repeat of tape number 144b, so please refer to it!
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I have been playing gambling for a long time, and I used to leave off the prayer. However, in the month of Ramadan, I fast and pray, and after that, I leave it off. I am married and have children, and my wife also prays. But one day, I lost a lot in this gambling, and I was pained, so I swore an oath that I would not play gambling anymore. But I played a second time. The oath I swore was that I said, "By the forbidden, by divorce, by the three," that I would not play gambling anymore. So, in this case, is my wife divorced, and she does not know about this oath, as I said? Also, as I told you, I used to leave off the prayer, and she prays, and I am now repentant and confused. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in your view regarding my work? I want to repent, and I have now started praying and left gambling. I ask for an answer to my question with respect?
The Shaykh : The answer to this question is that gambling is the maysir (gambling) that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has forbidden, and He associated it with intoxicants and the worship of idols, where He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:90-91] The earnings you have acquired from that are forbidden earnings, and it is obligatory for you to get rid of them by giving them in charity as a means of purifying yourself from their sin, not as a means of drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), because drawing near to Allah with forbidden earnings does not benefit anything. The conscience is not cleared by that charity, and drawing near to Allah the Exalted is not achieved by it, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sahih Muslim 1015 Therefore, what is obligatory for you regarding these earnings is to remove them from your ownership as a means of purifying yourself and repenting to Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
As for what concerns your oath by divorce and the forbidden that you would not return to it, meaning to playing gambling, and then you returned to it, it is obligatory for you, according to the stronger opinion among the opinions of the scholars, it is obligatory for you to pay the expiation for an oath. The expiation for an oath is feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. The way of feeding is that you prepare food for lunch or dinner, then you invite these ten people until they eat, or you distribute rice or something similar to it, which is of the middle quality of what you feed your family, to each of the poor people about a kilo. It is good to include with it something to make it filling, such as meat or something similar. And since you have now repented to your Lord and regretted the sin that occurred, ask Allah the Exalted for steadfastness in that, and thank Him for this great blessing, for repentance is among the greatest blessings of Allah upon the servant. For this reason, Allah has bestowed upon His servants Islam, where He (Mighty and Majestic) said:[Al-Hujurat 49:17] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3].
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a message we received from Fakhri Abdullah Abd al-Salam, an Egyptian residing in Iraq, Anbar. He says in his first question.
The questioner : We are a group who work at sea, and our work ends one hour before the sun rises. Is it better for us to stop working and pray Fajr, or to finish working and pray afterwards, as long as the time for the sun’s rise has not yet come? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : The answer to that is that as long as you finish your work one hour before the sun rises, you can perform the prayer in its time. There is no blame on you if you delay the prayer until the work is finished, provided that you complete the prayer before the sun rises. This is because performing the prayer at the beginning of its time is recommended, not obligatory. Leaving your work for the prayer might disrupt the work, and there might be something that causes you harm. If it does not disrupt the work and you do not suffer harm from it, then it is better for you to perform the prayer at the beginning of its time, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform Fajr at the beginning of its time. Yes.
The questioner : In his second letter, he says.
The questioner : The time for the Friday prayer came upon us while we were working at sea, and we left it half an hour after the time for the adhan of the midday prayer. Is it valid for us to perform the adhan and the Friday prayer? We ask for guidance on this matter?
The Shaykh : The Friday prayer is not valid except in mosques in cities or villages, and it is not valid for a group of people working on land or at sea, because it was not the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to establish the Friday prayer except in cities and villages. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would travel for many days and would not establish the Friday prayer. You are currently at sea, not settled, but rather workers who move right and left and return to your homelands and towns. Therefore, what is obligatory for you is the midday prayer, not the Friday prayer.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a letter from Uthman 'Abd al-'Aati Jabir from the Arab Republic of Egypt, who works in Iraq.
The questioner : He asks about a person who swore on the mushaf (written copy of the Qur'an) falsely in his childhood, meaning he was fifteen years old, but he regretted this after reaching the age of maturity, meaning he knew that this is forbidden by the Shari'ah. So, does he have a sin or an expiation? Please inform us of this, may Allah bless you?
The Shaykh : This question includes two issues. The first issue is swearing on the mushaf to confirm the oath, and this is a formula for which I do not know a source from the Sunnah, so it is not prescribed.
As for the second issue, it is his oath, or her oath, on lying, and he is aware of that, and this is a great sin. It is obligatory for him to repent to Allah from it, to the extent that some of the scholars say: This is from the oath of immersion (ghamus) that immerses its owner in sin, and then immerses him in the Fire. If this oath occurred from him after his maturity, then by that, he becomes sinful, and he must repent to Allah, and he does not have an expiation, because the expiation is only for oaths regarding future things. As for past things, there is no expiation in them, but the person is in a state of uncertainty between being sinful or not sinful. If he swears on something he knows is a lie, he is sinful, and if he swears on something he is mostly convinced is true, or he knows is true, he is not sinful. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a message from the listener whose name is symbolized by A M A from the Arab Republic of Egypt, Asyut Governorate. He says in his message.
The questioner : I had vowed a sacrifice to Allah, and the matter became necessary, and there was nothing else in the house, so I sold it for the amount of fifty-four Egyptian pounds, for four years. And now I want to fulfill the vow I made. Do I buy another sacrifice with the amount? And do I have a sin in this action of mine? I ask for information, and may Allah grant you success?
The Shaykh : The answer: This sheep that you vowed to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to slaughter, if your vow is a vow of obedience, then it has become obligatory for you to fulfill it, and this sheep became specific for the vow. Your selling it after that is a mistake from you and forbidden for you. And you must guarantee it now with its like or something better than it, and repent to Allah the Exalted and Majestic from what you did. So, slaughter a substitute for it as a means of drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and distribute it to the poor, as long as you have intended it as charity for Allah the Exalted. And let what you slaughter be like the one you vowed or better than it. Yes.
The questioner : This is a message from the female listener A A K from Iraq, Qadisiyyah Governorate. She has a set of questions. The first question, she says.
The questioner : Is it obligatory to make up the prayers of the days of menstruation? And is it permissible to wash only the hair? She wants information on that?
The Shaykh : As for the prayer, yes, the answer to that is that the menstruating woman does not make up the prayer by explicit text and consensus, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked: What is the matter that the menstruating woman makes up the fast but does not make up the prayer? She said: Mishkat al-Masabih 2032 And based on this, it is not obligatory for the menstruating woman to make up the prayer. As for the menstruating woman washing her head, there is nothing wrong with it during menstruation, and what I heard that this is not permissible has no validity. Rather, she may wash her head and her body and whatever she wishes, and she may also use henna during her menstruation, and there is no blame on her in this. Yes.
The questioner : She asks: Is it permissible to put henna in the hair during fasting and prayer? She also says: Because I heard that henna breaks the fast?
The Shaykh : This also has no validity, for putting henna on the days of fasting does not break the fast and does not affect the fasting person in any way, like kohl, or an ear drop, or an eye drop. For all of that does not harm the fasting person and does not break his fast.
As for henna during the prayer, I do not know how this question can be, for the woman who prays cannot be applying henna. Perhaps she means: Does henna prevent the validity of the wudu' (ablution) if the woman applies it? And the answer is: That does not prevent the validity of the wudu', because henna does not have a substance that prevents the water from reaching, but it is only a color. And what affects the wudu' is what has a body that prevents the water from reaching, and it is necessary to remove it so that the wudu' is valid. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The questioner : This is a message from the listener Jamal Ali from the Arab Republic of Egypt. He says in his message.
The questioner : I was working in a very hard job, and I could not continue in it, so I started...
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : So I could not continue in it.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So I started looking for another job that is less arduous, and I did not find anything except a job in a company for making tobacco or cigarettes. And I am now working with it for a few months, knowing that I do not smoke cigarettes or any type of tobacco. And the question is: What is the ruling on the salary I receive in exchange for this work? Is it lawful or forbidden, knowing that I am sincere in my work, and praise be to Allah?
The Shaykh : The answer is that it is not permissible for you to work in this company that manufactures cigarettes, because manufacturing cigarettes and trading in them, whether by selling or buying, is forbidden, and working in the company that manufactures them is assisting in this forbidden matter. And Allah the Exalted said in His Book:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] Therefore, your remaining in this company is forbidden, and the wage you earn from your work is also forbidden. You must repent to Allah and leave working in this company. A small lawful wage is better than a large forbidden wage, because if a man earns money through forbidden means, Allah does not bless it for him, and if he gives it in charity, Allah does not accept it from him, and if he leaves it behind after his death, it will be a debt upon him, and its profit will be for his heirs after him. Know that it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: إن الله طيب لا يقبل إلا طيباً، وإن الله أمر المؤمنين بما أمر به المرسلين، فقال تعالى: يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ وقال تعالى: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ Indeed, Allah is Good and accepts nothing but what is good, and indeed, Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers, so He said: O messengers, eat from the good things and do good, for I am Knowing of what you do. And He said: O you who believe, eat from the good things We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is Him you worship. He mentioned a man who travels a long distance, disheveled and covered in dust, stretching his hands toward the sky, saying: "O my Lord, O my Lord," while his food is forbidden, his clothing is forbidden, and he is nourished with what is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) considered it unlikely that this man’s prayer would be answered, even though he had fulfilled the conditions for the acceptance of supplication, because his food, clothing, and drink are forbidden, and he is nourished with what is forbidden. If this supplicant, despite having the causes for the acceptance of supplication, is unlikely to be answered by Allah because these matters are forbidden for him, then this necessitates that a sensible person be cautious of eating what is forbidden and stay away from it. [At-Talaq 65:2-3] [At-Talaq 65:4] My advice to you, my brother, is to fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, to leave this company, and to seek lawful sustenance so that Allah may bless it for you.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a message we received from the listener Aml 'Abd al-Karim from Iraq, Al-Qadisiyyah Governorate. She says in her message:
The questioner : What is the ruling in the Shari'ah, in your opinion, regarding washing the face and hands with soap during wudu'?
The Shaykh : The answer is that washing the hands and face with soap during wudu' is not prescribed; rather, it is an act of excessive strictness and affectation. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: He said it three times. Yes, if it were assumed that there is dirt on the hands that does not go away except by using soap or other purifying cleansers, then there is no blame on using it in that case. But if the matter is ordinary, then using soap is considered affectation and religious innovation, so do not use it. Yes.
The questioner : She says in her second message:
The questioner : I read in some legal books that if the prayer is established and the worshipper doubts the number of its rak'ahs, it is invalid. And in some books, it says that if the worshipper doubts, he prostrates two rak'ahs after finishing the prayer. What is the correct ruling regarding this? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : The correct answer regarding this is that the prayer is not invalidated, because this doubt often occurs to a person without his choice. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the ruling for one who doubts in his prayer, and the doubt is of two types. The first type is when a person doubts the number of rak'ahs while leaning toward one of the two possibilities. In this case, or in this type, the person builds upon what he leans toward, completes the prayer based on that, says the taslim, and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim. As for the second type, it is when a person doubts the number of rak'ahs and does not lean toward either possibility. In this case, or in this type, he builds upon the lesser number because that is what is certain, and the extra is doubtful. He completes the prayer based on the lesser number and prostrates for forgetfulness two prostrations before the taslim, and his prayer is not invalidated by that.
This is the ruling on doubt regarding the number of rak'ahs. Likewise, if he doubts whether he prostrated the second prostration or not, or whether he bowed or not, then if he has a leaning toward one of the two possibilities, he acts on the stronger position, completes his prayer based on that, and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if he does not have a leaning toward either possibility, then he acts on the safest course, which is that he did not perform this bowing or this prostration in which he doubted. So he performs it and what follows it, completes his prayer based on that, and prostrates for forgetfulness before the taslim. However, if he reaches the place of the pillar in which he doubts having left it, then the second rak'ah takes the place of the rak'ah from which he left that pillar.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, esteemed Shaykh, and may He magnify your reward.
The Shaykh : The answer to this question is that gambling is the maysir (gambling) that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has forbidden, and He associated it with intoxicants and the worship of idols, where He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
(90) O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. (91) Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالأَنصَابُ وَالأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ * إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنتَهُونَAllah is Good and He therefore, accepts only that which is good
إن الله طيب لا يقبل إلا طيباًAs for what concerns your oath by divorce and the forbidden that you would not return to it, meaning to playing gambling, and then you returned to it, it is obligatory for you, according to the stronger opinion among the opinions of the scholars, it is obligatory for you to pay the expiation for an oath. The expiation for an oath is feeding ten poor people, or clothing them, or freeing a slave. The way of feeding is that you prepare food for lunch or dinner, then you invite these ten people until they eat, or you distribute rice or something similar to it, which is of the middle quality of what you feed your family, to each of the poor people about a kilo. It is good to include with it something to make it filling, such as meat or something similar. And since you have now repented to your Lord and regretted the sin that occurred, ask Allah the Exalted for steadfastness in that, and thank Him for this great blessing, for repentance is among the greatest blessings of Allah upon the servant. For this reason, Allah has bestowed upon His servants Islam, where He (Mighty and Majestic) said:
Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful."
بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَThis day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلامَ دِينًاThe questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a message we received from Fakhri Abdullah Abd al-Salam, an Egyptian residing in Iraq, Anbar. He says in his first question.
The questioner : We are a group who work at sea, and our work ends one hour before the sun rises. Is it better for us to stop working and pray Fajr, or to finish working and pray afterwards, as long as the time for the sun’s rise has not yet come? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : The answer to that is that as long as you finish your work one hour before the sun rises, you can perform the prayer in its time. There is no blame on you if you delay the prayer until the work is finished, provided that you complete the prayer before the sun rises. This is because performing the prayer at the beginning of its time is recommended, not obligatory. Leaving your work for the prayer might disrupt the work, and there might be something that causes you harm. If it does not disrupt the work and you do not suffer harm from it, then it is better for you to perform the prayer at the beginning of its time, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform Fajr at the beginning of its time. Yes.
The questioner : In his second letter, he says.
The questioner : The time for the Friday prayer came upon us while we were working at sea, and we left it half an hour after the time for the adhan of the midday prayer. Is it valid for us to perform the adhan and the Friday prayer? We ask for guidance on this matter?
The Shaykh : The Friday prayer is not valid except in mosques in cities or villages, and it is not valid for a group of people working on land or at sea, because it was not the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to establish the Friday prayer except in cities and villages. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would travel for many days and would not establish the Friday prayer. You are currently at sea, not settled, but rather workers who move right and left and return to your homelands and towns. Therefore, what is obligatory for you is the midday prayer, not the Friday prayer.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a letter from Uthman 'Abd al-'Aati Jabir from the Arab Republic of Egypt, who works in Iraq.
The questioner : He asks about a person who swore on the mushaf (written copy of the Qur'an) falsely in his childhood, meaning he was fifteen years old, but he regretted this after reaching the age of maturity, meaning he knew that this is forbidden by the Shari'ah. So, does he have a sin or an expiation? Please inform us of this, may Allah bless you?
The Shaykh : This question includes two issues. The first issue is swearing on the mushaf to confirm the oath, and this is a formula for which I do not know a source from the Sunnah, so it is not prescribed.
As for the second issue, it is his oath, or her oath, on lying, and he is aware of that, and this is a great sin. It is obligatory for him to repent to Allah from it, to the extent that some of the scholars say: This is from the oath of immersion (ghamus) that immerses its owner in sin, and then immerses him in the Fire. If this oath occurred from him after his maturity, then by that, he becomes sinful, and he must repent to Allah, and he does not have an expiation, because the expiation is only for oaths regarding future things. As for past things, there is no expiation in them, but the person is in a state of uncertainty between being sinful or not sinful. If he swears on something he knows is a lie, he is sinful, and if he swears on something he is mostly convinced is true, or he knows is true, he is not sinful. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a message from the listener whose name is symbolized by A M A from the Arab Republic of Egypt, Asyut Governorate. He says in his message.
The questioner : I had vowed a sacrifice to Allah, and the matter became necessary, and there was nothing else in the house, so I sold it for the amount of fifty-four Egyptian pounds, for four years. And now I want to fulfill the vow I made. Do I buy another sacrifice with the amount? And do I have a sin in this action of mine? I ask for information, and may Allah grant you success?
The Shaykh : The answer: This sheep that you vowed to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to slaughter, if your vow is a vow of obedience, then it has become obligatory for you to fulfill it, and this sheep became specific for the vow. Your selling it after that is a mistake from you and forbidden for you. And you must guarantee it now with its like or something better than it, and repent to Allah the Exalted and Majestic from what you did. So, slaughter a substitute for it as a means of drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and distribute it to the poor, as long as you have intended it as charity for Allah the Exalted. And let what you slaughter be like the one you vowed or better than it. Yes.
The questioner : This is a message from the female listener A A K from Iraq, Qadisiyyah Governorate. She has a set of questions. The first question, she says.
The questioner : Is it obligatory to make up the prayers of the days of menstruation? And is it permissible to wash only the hair? She wants information on that?
The Shaykh : As for the prayer, yes, the answer to that is that the menstruating woman does not make up the prayer by explicit text and consensus, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Is it not the case that if she menstruates, she does not pray and does not fast?
أليس إذا حاضت لم تصلي ولم تصُمThat happened to us, and we were ordered to make up for the fast, but were not ordered to make up for the prayer.
كان يُصيبنا ذلك، فنؤمر بقضاء الصوم، ولا نؤمر بقضاء الصلاةThe questioner : She asks: Is it permissible to put henna in the hair during fasting and prayer? She also says: Because I heard that henna breaks the fast?
The Shaykh : This also has no validity, for putting henna on the days of fasting does not break the fast and does not affect the fasting person in any way, like kohl, or an ear drop, or an eye drop. For all of that does not harm the fasting person and does not break his fast.
As for henna during the prayer, I do not know how this question can be, for the woman who prays cannot be applying henna. Perhaps she means: Does henna prevent the validity of the wudu' (ablution) if the woman applies it? And the answer is: That does not prevent the validity of the wudu', because henna does not have a substance that prevents the water from reaching, but it is only a color. And what affects the wudu' is what has a body that prevents the water from reaching, and it is necessary to remove it so that the wudu' is valid. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The questioner : This is a message from the listener Jamal Ali from the Arab Republic of Egypt. He says in his message.
The questioner : I was working in a very hard job, and I could not continue in it, so I started...
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : So I could not continue in it.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So I started looking for another job that is less arduous, and I did not find anything except a job in a company for making tobacco or cigarettes. And I am now working with it for a few months, knowing that I do not smoke cigarettes or any type of tobacco. And the question is: What is the ruling on the salary I receive in exchange for this work? Is it lawful or forbidden, knowing that I am sincere in my work, and praise be to Allah?
The Shaykh : The answer is that it is not permissible for you to work in this company that manufactures cigarettes, because manufacturing cigarettes and trading in them, whether by selling or buying, is forbidden, and working in the company that manufactures them is assisting in this forbidden matter. And Allah the Exalted said in His Book:
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِHow then will it be answered?
فأنى يُستجاب لذلكAnd whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (3) And will provide for him from where he does not expect.
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا * وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَحْتَسِبُAnd whoever fears Allah - He will make for him of his matter ease.
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًاThe questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a message we received from the listener Aml 'Abd al-Karim from Iraq, Al-Qadisiyyah Governorate. She says in her message:
The questioner : What is the ruling in the Shari'ah, in your opinion, regarding washing the face and hands with soap during wudu'?
The Shaykh : The answer is that washing the hands and face with soap during wudu' is not prescribed; rather, it is an act of excessive strictness and affectation. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
The extremists are destroyed, the extremists are destroyed.
هلك المتنطعون، هلك المتنطعونThe questioner : She says in her second message:
The questioner : I read in some legal books that if the prayer is established and the worshipper doubts the number of its rak'ahs, it is invalid. And in some books, it says that if the worshipper doubts, he prostrates two rak'ahs after finishing the prayer. What is the correct ruling regarding this? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : The correct answer regarding this is that the prayer is not invalidated, because this doubt often occurs to a person without his choice. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the ruling for one who doubts in his prayer, and the doubt is of two types. The first type is when a person doubts the number of rak'ahs while leaning toward one of the two possibilities. In this case, or in this type, the person builds upon what he leans toward, completes the prayer based on that, says the taslim, and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim. As for the second type, it is when a person doubts the number of rak'ahs and does not lean toward either possibility. In this case, or in this type, he builds upon the lesser number because that is what is certain, and the extra is doubtful. He completes the prayer based on the lesser number and prostrates for forgetfulness two prostrations before the taslim, and his prayer is not invalidated by that.
This is the ruling on doubt regarding the number of rak'ahs. Likewise, if he doubts whether he prostrated the second prostration or not, or whether he bowed or not, then if he has a leaning toward one of the two possibilities, he acts on the stronger position, completes his prayer based on that, and prostrates for forgetfulness after the taslim. And if he does not have a leaning toward either possibility, then he acts on the safest course, which is that he did not perform this bowing or this prostration in which he doubted. So he performs it and what follows it, completes his prayer based on that, and prostrates for forgetfulness before the taslim. However, if he reaches the place of the pillar in which he doubts having left it, then the second rak'ah takes the place of the rak'ah from which he left that pillar.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, esteemed Shaykh, and may He magnify your reward.